Challenges: Number Three: Buried
by Foxdawn
Summary: Sandpaw is a loyal and fierce WindClan apprentice, training to be a moor-runner. But when a disastrous storm traps he and his brother, Gorsepaw, during a tunnel hunt, Sandpaw's life is changed forever.


Cinderkit squirmed idly. It was so boring in the tiny cave! Ever since the flood destroyed MoonClan's camp, the entire Clan was stuffed into a tiny little cave. _I'm so bored!_

"Cinderkit! Stop shoving!" Cinderkit glanced wearily at her sister, Cornkit. Cornkit was glaring up at her, the little black she-cat's white forepaw prodding Cinderkit.

"Well I'm sorry." Cinderkit snapped, trying to scoot away from her littermate. "There's not enough room."

"I don't care!" Cornkit cried. "You're crowding me!" Cornkit kicked her hindpaw out, and it hit Cinderkit's chin.

"Ow!" Cinderkit squealed.

"Kits!" Raindapple mewed sternly, looking Down at the two tiny she-kits sitting near her flank. Cinderkit and Cornkit froze, then slowly looked up at their mother. "Do you see any of the _warriors_ complaining?" Raindapple asked, jabbing her paw to where the warrior's nests were situated. Icewillow and Splashwhisker were sitting calmly in their nests, washing their fur. Both warriors looked tired and half-starved, but they had a gleam of optimism in their eyes.

"Well do you?" Raindapple pressed. Cinderkit shook her head sorrowfully. _Raindapple's right. Their tired, hungry,_ and _crowded. We're just crowded._

"Sorry Raindapple." Cornkit mewed apologetically.

"I know you are dear." Raindapple's blue gaze softened. "The flood has been hard on all of us. But especially the warriors. They've been working day and night to get the camp fixed up."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Cinderkit asked eagerly.

"Well," Raindapple glanced thoughtfully around the cave. "how about you take a piece of fresh-kill to the elders and see if they'll tell you a story?"

Cornkit's eyes lit up. "Great idea!"

"Thanks Raindapple!" Cinderkit mewed. The two black she-kits wove through the legs of passing cats until they reached the fresh-kill pile.

"Well..." Cornkit trailed off as she peered at the fresh-kill pile. There was only a rabbit, and two mice.

"How about we take the rabbit!" Cinderkit suggested. "Then all three elders can share!"

Cornkit nodded thoughtfully. "Okay." She mewed. The two she-kits clamped their thorn-sharp teeth on the rabbit's fluffy brown pelt and began to drag it across the cave. It was hard work, the rabbit was nearly twice the size of them.

"Finally." Cinderkit mewed. "That was hard."

Cornkit nodded in agreement. "Sleekpelt! Wheattail! Shallowfur! Wake up!" She squealed. The three elders sat up in their nests, scattering moss around the cave.

"Oh! Well hello Cornkit, Cinderkit." Sleekpelt mewed kindly.

"Hi!" Cindekit leaped onto the body of the rabbit. "We brought you fresh-kill!"

Wheattail glanced at Shallowfur, and Sleekpelt smiled brightly.

"Thank you, kits!" Sleekpelt hooked her claw onto the rabbit's fur and dragged it between the three nests. Shallowfur and Wheattail began taking hungry mouthfuls, while Sleekpelt took quick, delicate bites.

 _I've never seen a cat eat so fast!_ Cinderkit thought. The two she-kits sat quietly while the three old cats stripped the meat off the bones. In almost no time at all, the fluffy body was gone, leaving only a pile of smooth, white bones.

"Thank you, kits." Wheattail meowed, stretching out his back leg. "That was quite good."

"You're welcome!" Cinderkit squeaked.

"Could you tell us a story?" Cornkit asked hopefully.

The three old cats exchanged amused glances. "It's your turn." Cinderkit barely heard Wheattail mutter to Shallowfur. Shallowfur sighed softly, a smile spreading across his face.

"Okay. I'll tell you one I heard a long time ago. I was actually a brand-new apprentice when I heard it." Shallowfur began, sinking down into his nest and wrapping his tail around his paws. "I heard a CaveClan elder telling it at a gathering."

"Is it about LynxClan, PantherClan, CougarClan or JaguarClan?" Cornkit wondered.

Shallowfur shook his head. "No, it's about another Clan. A Clan not too many cats have heard of. This Clan is called WindClan."

"I want a story about a real Clan!" Cornkit poured. "Not a Clan from nursery stories!"

Shallowfur purred. "WindClan is a real Clan. They run very fast, just like us, but they also tunnel underground, like CaveClan cats."

"Wow!" Cinderkit squeaked.

"Now let me tell my story!" Shallowfur swatted Cornkit gently with his tail-tip. She giggled softly.

"Many seasons ago, there was a WindClan apprentice named Sandpaw. Sandpaw was a swift and agile apprentice, so he was to be trained as a moor-runner."

"What is a moor-runner?" Cornkit interrupted.

"A moor-runner is a cat who catches prey on the open moors. You see, WindClan's warriors were split into two groups, moor-runners, and tunnel-runners. Tunnel-runners were cats who patrolled WindClan's under ground tunnel network.

"As I was saying, Sandpaw and his littermate, Gorsepaw, were both new apprentices, but Sandpaw was being trained to be a moor-runner, while Gorsepaw was training to be a tunnel-runner.

"Sandpaw enjoyed training as a moor-runner. He loved the feel of the wind in his fur. He loved the glowing warmth of the sun on his pelt. And his mentor was astonished at how fast Sandpaw was learning. Gorsepaw and Sandpaw were two smart cats. Both were excelling in their training faster than the Clan leader thought possible.

"On the day before they were to have their warrior assessments, the brothers decided to practice together and go hunting. It was a dark, cloudy day, the wind screamed across the moors, and the heather that grew abundantly in their territory was bent low to the surface of the moor. It was quite obvious that a terrible storm was approaching, but the two young cats paid no heed to their mentors and left camp.

"The wind dried out their eyes and tossed their fur around as Gorsepaw and Sandpaw trekked across the open moor. Dark thunder clouds loomed ominously overhead, and Sandpaw was beginning to get a bad feeling about their hunting expedition. Gorsepaw, however, didn't seem to noticed the ferocity of the black clouds. Or if he did, he choose to ignore it.

"They made quick time, and despite the rising storm, the two young toms were able to catch two rabbits just before a light rain began to fall. Sandpaw dropped his kill on top of Gorsepaw's, and the two WindClan toms circled their kill with pride shining in their eyes.

"'We should take them back to camp. This rain seems to be falling harder now.' Sandpaw suggested. Gorsepaw looked thoughtful, almost reluctant to leave the moor.

"'Okay.' Gorsepaw agreed finally. Just as he fastened his jaws on his rabbit, a bolt of tawny fur flashed past the brothers. Gorsepaw dropped the rabbit in his mouth and charged after the rabbit. 'Come on,Sandpaw!' The dark brown apprentice called. 'Just this last catch!'

"Sandpaw hesitantly shot after his brother, the now-heavy rain weighing down his ginger pelt. He was careful to keep his brother's haunches in sight, but they suddenly disappeared. Sandpaw skidded to a halt. Where had Gorsepaw gone? The ginger tom tasted the air, and caught his brother's scent vanishing down into a tunnel. Sandpaw hesitated only a heartbeat before sliding down after his brother.

"The brown apprentice's scent was strong and fresh as Sandpaw galloped blindly through the tunnels. 'How does Gorsepaw find his way around down here?' He wondered. As he traveled on further, a feeling of foreboding gripped his belly in icy claws. He couldn't see or hear anything, and the floor of the tunnel was now damp with rain water. The tunnel was slowly flooding.

"Sandpaw began racing through the tunnels, using his whiskers to sense where the tunnel walls were, and his ears to listen for the trickle of rainwater. The ginger apprentice stopped suddenly. He was at a dead end. But how could that be? There had been no other trails, and Gorsepaw's scent still lead onward.

"Sandpaw stiffened, the realization of what had happened clawed angrily at him. There had been a cave-in.

"Sandpaw began digging furiously, the dirt falling away into muddy puddles of rainwater. He kicked out at the mud that clung tightly to his legs. Finally, Sandpaw sheathed his claws and pawed at the earth more gently until Gorsepaw's limp body fell out of the earth. Sandals sighed in relief, then clamped his teeth around the scruff of Gorsepaw's neck.

"The ginger apprentice began dragging his littermate through the mud that now tugged at his shoulders. Struggling against the weight, Sandpaw doggedly moved through the flooding tunnel. By the time he could scent the fresh stormy air, the water was almost covering his muzzle. He tried to continue. He was so close. But the angry water pulled him under, and blackness claimed him.

"Sandpaw awoke to Whiteberry standing over him. The thin white tom looked worried, and exhausted. Sandpaw jumped to his paws. 'Where is Gorsepaw?' He asked. 'Is he alright?'

"Whiteberry averted his gaze. Sandpaw shifted his paws nervously. 'Where is Gorsepaw?' He demanded.

"'Your brother is dead.' Whiteberry replied quietly.

"After that, Sandpaw choose to abandon his life as a moor-runner, so that no cat would ever have to die at the paws of a cave-in. He became an honored warrior by the name of Sandgorse, after Gorsepaw. Sandgorse took a mate, and his son became Clan leader. When Sandgorse was a senior warrior, he died the death of a hero. He went to be with StarClan by saving a Clan visitor from a cave-in."


End file.
